


An Awkward Encounter

by Someonewhosfunny



Series: The Fall Out [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Awkwardness, M/M, Past Relationship(s), run in with ex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-06
Updated: 2013-01-06
Packaged: 2017-11-23 21:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/626710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Someonewhosfunny/pseuds/Someonewhosfunny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis was just taking care of a sick friend. He didn't expect to run into the one person he was hoping to avoid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Awkward Encounter

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr in May, before being re-edited and posted here. This was one of the first One Direction fics I'd ever written so bear with me. Also, because I wrote it a few months ago, it may seem a bit dated. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't have any affiliation with One Direction. 
> 
> I would love to know what you think! Leave a comment! :)

Lou pushed his cart through the grocery store, a tad faster than usual as he sped down towards the cereal aisle. It was one he would normally have avoided, if it wasn’t for Niall’s stomach virus keeping him in bed. He had promised the Irish lad he would pick him up some Cheerios, considering it was the only food he could keep down.  Louis tried to keep his mind on his purpose for coming here rather than the reason that he had been avoiding the cereal aisle, or the pet store, or the million other places he stopped going after _that_ day.

His hand snatched the first Cheerios box he laid eyes on, not bothering to check the expiration date. He just wanted to get away from the seemingly innocent corn pops burning a hole in the side of his vision.  It was crazy, he knew, to believe that he could avoid everything that reminded him of the curly haired boy he used to call his best friend - his boyfriend, but he had to try. The alternative was too painful.

Rushing faster than appropriate, he traveled the length of the store to the cashier, trying to clear his rambling mind. Louis slapped the box onto the conveyer belt and waited impatiently. With a hasty thank you, he bolted from the store and to his small car. 

Unfortunately, luck was not on his side today. A gaggle of teenage girls approached him as he reached his vehicle. A charming smile spread onto the boy’s face, a rush of reassurances flying from his mouth. _Of course he would take a picture. It was no trouble at all._ He couldn’t blame his fans. They didn’t know the reason why he was so desperate to get out of the parking lot, but then again neither did he. He just felt this nagging pull guiding him away.

Soon he was in his car, driving as fast as he could get away with. The complex where the boys - well, most of the boys - lived was a short drive from the store, but anxiety rose in Louis’s chest. Before he could reach his home, he needed to pass Harry’s new flat. Lou winced as he forced himself to think the name, underestimating the amount of pain it would cause. His blue eyes focused solely on the road. The dark asphalt. The faded yellow line. Anything but the small complex that now housed the boy he was trying so hard to forget.

Not that it was easy by any means. Louis was forced to be around the younger boy almost all the time. Things had gotten better, though. Their long bit of touring was over and the group was able to stay home in London while they recorded the new album. Press work was not as frequent as it had been. Management explained that this was their downtime, extremely needed and well deserved. Louis liked to think of it as his own personal blessing. With recording, he could get away with not seeing Harry for a few days, a luxury that never would’ve been possible on tour, where the boys were mashed together 24/7. Still, he had to see him.

Their encounters were awkward to say the least: diverted eyes, forced indifference, fragile smiles that resemble grimaces. Both Harry and Lou knew it wasn’t fair to the other boys, who felt like they needed to pick a side, but they couldn’t help their actions. It was impossible to just forget someone who used to mean so much to you. But Lou tried.

He tried in vain to forget any of it ever happened. He greeted Harry with a cheerful, but overly polite and far too formal hello when he saw him in the studio. He kept his distance, but didn’t avoid the boy. He wanted things to be normal between them. It was the most he could wish for, as he knew things would never be like they were before. Like they were before the pair took a leap of faith and decided to take their friendship to a new, unexplored level. Neither of the boys had seen it coming, their feelings for one another. It kind of crept up on them. And when it hit, full force, no one could deny the love any longer. A wonderful relationship blossomed. It was weird, at first. Both Lou and Harry had had long term girlfriends before, but boyfriends were an entirely new territory. Instead of becoming awkward, however, by the end of their first official date, things had begun to feel quite normal, like they were meant to be together.

Things soon became more serious. Louis went home to Doncaster with Harry for a week to visit his family. Of course, they had met him countless times before, but never as his formal boyfriend. When they arrived at his home, Lou was ready to face his family for the first time since coming out. Although he felt like he was going to throw up from nerves, the words rolled off his tongue easily. _Mum, girls, you’ve met my boyfriend Harry._   The Tomlinson’s, of course, welcomed him and his boyfriend back home with ease, not that he had expected otherwise. Louis knew his family would support him no matter what, but it was a relief that his family loved Harry as much as he did. The girls, especially, took to the curly haired boy immediately, making it impossible to overlook how flawlessly Harry fit into his family.  

The last month of their relationship was when the complications arose. The media speculated, which would not have bothered Lou at all if it wasn’t for Harry’s displeasure. The older boy was ready to tell the entire world. They had already let management know. The only person standing in the way was Harry. He was vehemently opposed to letting the world know. Louis had tried time and time again to get the boy to crack, but it was futile. Until one night, Harry didn’t just brush off his boyfriend’s insistence. He snapped at Louis in complete anger and Lou, being the hot head he was, just made the fight worse. As screams filled the flat and doors slammed, they broke things that could not be repaired. That night was their worst fight ever, ending in Harry moving out and two damaged hearts.

A car horn honking brought Louis out of his head space. He groaned loudly as he made a sharp right turn. He hadn’t wanted to start thinking about Harry. Every time he did he felt foolish and guilty. He had pushed the younger boy away with his persistence. It was his own fault he was miserable and lonely. Louis was never quite good at respecting people’s boundaries.  

Pulling into his normal parking space, Louis walked instinctually to Niall’s flat. His mind was too full to focus on anything else. When he reached the blonde’s door, he could hardly remember how he'd gotten there. He surely must’ve locked his car, taken the lift up, and walked down the hall. He just couldn’t recall doing anything but thinking of Harry. With a push of the door, Louis was in Niall’s living room.

“I’ve got your Cheerios, Ni!” he called. “Feel like dragging yourself out of bed to eat ‘em?”

Louis lighthearted comment was met by the sound of two shuffling feet. He reached to grab a bowl from the cabinet, his back to the door. Heavy footsteps sounded behind him, which he assumed to be Niall’s footfall. If he had been paying more attention, he would have recognized the tell tale footsteps of the boy he was pathetically in love with. Instead, an outburst from the deeply familiar voice caused him to jump.

As Louis turned around, he mentally cursed himself. Harry standing in the kitchen with him, looking more fit than Lou had remembered. He felt the shock on his face, before quickly rearranging his features into an expression of causal delight.

“Oh Harry. Would you like a cuppa? I was just going to make one for myself and Niall.”

Louis politeness made him sound calm, like nothing had ever happened between them. Or so he hoped.

“No thank you. I was just coming to see Niall. He’s awake upstairs.”

Harry’s voice was cold as silence settled on the pair of ex lovers. Louis turned around to fetch the kettle, hiding his face from Harry until he gained the energy to produce a carefree smile.

“How’ve you been then?” he asked conversationally, his voice taking on an airy quality that he prayed didn’t sound nearly as fake to Harry as it did to himself.

“Good, good,” the curly haired boy replied, trying not to sound like he was lying through his teeth.

In reality, he missed Louis more than anything. He wished he could take back the night he left and have everything be exactly the way it was.

“That’s great.”

Harry nodded in agreement.

“Well I was just heading out. See you around, yeah?”

Harry was desperate to escape. Too many memories were rushing back. He couldn’t hold himself together much longer.

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Lou replied evasively.

Harry gave him an awkward wave before walking towards the door. Louis turned his back to Harry as his face fell. He could feel the same pain he felt when the Harry had walked out on him the last time, leaving him a broken mess. The slam of the heavy door signaled Harry’s departure.

Louis leaned his head in his hands, focusing on evening his breathing. He couldn’t let all the memories rush back. He’d spent too much time forgetting. Forgetting Harry’s smell. Forgetting the sight of his dimples peeking out when he smiled. Forgetting the melodic rhythm of his voice.

_Stop!_

Louis slammed the counter with his fist, ignoring the shooting pain it caused. He could not think of Harry like that anymore. Harry was gone and he was never going to be his again. He ruined things and they would never be the same. He had to move on from Harry.


End file.
